Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  U.S. retail sales fall for third straight month
NEWS DETAILS
Parent(s) Issue 
ContributorScott³ 
Last EditedScott³  Jul 17, 2012 01:50pm
Logged 0
CategoryNews
AuthorJeffry Bartash
News DateMonday, July 16, 2012 07:00:00 PM UTC0:0
Description"U.S. retail sales fell in June for the third straight month as consumers cut spending on most goods and services, reflecting a sharp slowdown in economic growth in the second quarter.

Retail sales slumped a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in June following declines in May and April, the Commerce Department reported Monday.

The last time the U.S. experienced three straight monthly drops in retail spending was in the second half of 2008, midway through the Great Recession.

The weak retail report fell well short of Wall Street expectations and sent U.S. stocks lower in early action. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast a 0.2% increase in sales.

“The soft patch in the U.S. economy looks just a bit softer after today’s news,” said economist Avery Shenfeld at CIBC World Markets.

Without stronger retail sales, the U.S. economy cannot expand faster and dramatically lower the nation’s high 8.2% unemployment rate. Retail spending accounts for more than two-thirds of the nation’s economic growth."
Share
ArticleRead Full Article

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor

DISCUSSION